Low water is making inland shipping less reliable. More freight may move by road and rail, pushing up transport costs—and, eventually, consumer prices. In August the Rhine at Kaub, a key measuring point in Germany, fell to just six centimetres, … [Read more...]
News and Features
FILM: HEART OF THE BEAST ***1/2
25 September 2026 This week you have two completely different films to choose from. One for the guys and one for the girls. Or isn’t one supposed to imply that in the WOKE era? But then the guy film stars Brad Pitt, so there will be women lining … [Read more...]
How Swiss Rail uses AI to find track defects
Instead of sending staff to walk the tracks and inspect them by eye, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) uses specially equipped diagnostic trains and artificial intelligence to examine around 2,000km of track each month, according to SRF. Rather than … [Read more...]
Swiss passport ranks ninth worldwide — but several European neighbours beat it
The Swiss passport remains one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, ranking ninth globally in the latest Passport Reports index. Swiss citizens can travel visa-free to 119 destinations. Another 54 allow entry with a visa on arrival or … [Read more...]
FILM: ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL 2026 – excellent international films and top stars
2 October 2026 ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL 2026 (24 September - 4 October) Once again, I jumped over the Röstigraben this autumn…from Geneva to Zurich, and it’s a delightful and liberating move. Pity that many of my Suisse Romande colleagues don’t … [Read more...]
Guides
15 things you should know about Swiss health insurance
It's health insurance season. Average premiums are increasing in 2018. Compulsory basic Swiss health insurance can generally only be changed once a year. To change you must notify your current provider by 30 November. This article explains the basics … [Read More...]
Hiring a cleaner – around half break law on Swiss accident insurance
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. In Switzerland, around one in seven hire someone to do their cleaning, but around half break the law, risking fines and a big … [Read More...]
Activities
Places to go for early season skiing in Switzerland
Mention skiing in November and it is likely to draw blank expressions, or comments like: "It’s too early, there will be no snow". While this is true for some resorts not all ski domains were created equal. A recent study shows that in 2015, snow … [Read more...]
How Switzerland’s best river swim became a summertime commute
Most people float down the Aare River in Bern just for fun. For Evelyn Schneider-Reyes, it was her summertime commute home. “I only had like 30 seconds walking from my office to the river,” she recalls. “I had an ‘Aare Bag’, where I put all my … [Read more...]
Why you should visit the Gianadda gallery in Martigny
Gianadda, that spectacular cultural centre in Martigny, specializes in exhibitions you want to wander round more than once. Its latest show – Hodler, Monet, Munch: painting the impossible (3 February to 11 June 2017) – also lives up to the … [Read more...]
